


Paradise

by cryptaknight



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Community: hp_drizzle, F/F, HP Drizzle Fest 2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-25
Updated: 2019-09-25
Packaged: 2020-10-14 05:36:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20595578
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cryptaknight/pseuds/cryptaknight
Summary: Halfway around the world from Hogwarts, the last thing Cho Chang expects is to run into a former classmate - or to find her so intriguing.





	Paradise

"Oh my goodness, is that Cho Chang?"

Cho closed her eyes, as if by hiding the world from her view, she was keeping herself just as hidden from the world. She purposely chosen to holiday in Langkawi because, while it might be a popular destination for tourists, she had been so very certain that none of them would be her former classmates. It was obvious, however, that she had been spotted, judging by the note of happy surprise in the young, female, and familiar voice.

When Cho opened her eyes and turned toward the voice, she saw not one but three familiar faces standing in the center of the Berjaya Langkawi Resort's lobby. She blinked in bemusement at the sight of her old housemate, Padma Patil, Padma's identical twin, Parvati, and Parvati's best friend, Lavender Brown. The three of them were smiling broadly and waving at her. Hiding her resignation, Cho plastered on her own brightest smile and went over to say hello.

"Fancy meeting you three here," Cho said awkwardly, wincing at her own lame joke. She was still overcoming how floored she was to run into the three English girls on an island - actually an archipelago of islands - on the west coast of Malaysia. Of course, she was also Scottish, and Padma and Parvati were also Asian, but even so. This was unexpected. 

"Bit of a girls' holiday," Padma said, cheerfully. She craned her neck, and Cho realized the other woman must be looking for her non-existent travelling companion.

"I'm on my own," Cho said hurriedly. 

She wasn't ashamed. She liked traveling alone. But she disliked explaining, and she'd found that saying things bluntly tended to stop people from prying any further. Once, Cho had been at the center of a gaggle of girls, but her friends had begun treating her like loss and grief were contagious after Cedric had been killed, and she'd gotten quite used to being by herself. She'd cultivated an air of being friendly but aloof that had served her well.

"Not any longer!" declared Parvati, looping her arm through Cho's. Cho steeled herself not to jerk her arm away, and instead glanced upward, into Parvati's warm brown eyes. She saw nothing but sincerity there, and stifled a sigh. That was what she'd been afraid of.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✭・゜・。.

Later that evening, Cho found herself seated in a small booth in one of the resort's bars, across from Parvati, sleek cocktails in front of them. Padma had insisted they all meet for drinks once they got settled into their waterfront chalets. To Cho's dismay, her former housemate had quickly abandoned her, going off with Lavender to circulate through the room. Cho was left alone with the less serious of the Patil twins, staring daggers at Padma's back as she hustled away while whispering excitedly into Lavender's ear.

"Padma's on the pull."

Cho brought her attention back to the woman sitting across from her. Parvati was lounging comfortably in the padded seat, taking an elongated sip of her cocktail through a straw. She was wearing some sort of gold jumpsuit with spaghetti straps and a deep v-shaped neckline. The color complimented Parvati's bronze skin, and the neckline made her seem daringly bare, especially since she'd cut her hair since the last time Cho had seen her; the long, blunt bob ended just above Parvati's shoulders. Parvati looked gorgeous and at ease, and Cho felt a sharp stab of envy.

"Pardon?" Cho said, hoping she hadn't been staring.

If she had, Parvati didn't mention it. "Padma's on the pull," she repeated. "Nasty break up. She was dating the idiot forever, too. I brought her here to cheer her up, and Lavender's giving her pointers on how to get over him by getting under someone else."

"Why not you? Giving her pointers, I mean," Cho asked, fiddling with the thin straw in her drink. Then she flushed, thinking she'd sounded like she was insinuating Parvati was a tart.

Parvati shrugged elegantly, saying, "Lavender's better suited. Padma and I don't go for the same type, obviously."

Cho wasn't sure how such a thing was obvious, aside from Parvati's earlier remark that Padma's ex-boyfriend was an idiot. Evidently Parvati did not prefer idiots.

Parvati let her off the hook, though, changing the subject. "But enough about Padma trying to get laid. What are you up to these days? I sort of lost track of you after we all got done with school."

Cho was neither surprised nor offended by that. She'd been a year ahead of the twins in school, and once there'd been no need for Dumbledore's Army any longer, there hadn't been much reason to socialize. 

"Working, mostly. I'm in the Charms division at Firebolt." This was something Cho could talk about easily. She loved her job. She'd always had a knack for charms and a passion for Quidditch, and the field where she'd chosen to make her career married the two traits well.

"Really?" Pavati leaned forward, tucking her thick hair behind one ear. "I do cosmetics charms for SirenSong," she said, naming one of the prestige beauty companies popular with witches their age. "We're developing a new line of brow products right now."

"That's impressive," Cho said, unable to prevent a genuine smile from spreading across her face. She couldn't help being infected by Parvati's enthusiasm. This was an area of common ground, and Cho found herself grabbing at it eagerly.

"D'you think so?" Parvati released a rich, throaty laugh. "Padma thinks it's silly."

"I do," Cho insisted. "What does Lavender think?" 

Cho already knew that Lavender had taken up a career in journalism, having seen her reporting on broom releases and Quidditch player news. 

"Lavender likes free cosmetics," Parvati said, laughing again. It washed over Cho like warm brandy, and she thought she must be getting a buzz from her drink. "But I get a thrill from making women feel confident and beautiful, so I truly enjoy what I do."

"Me, too," Cho agreed, and finally relaxed a bit as that moment of understanding flowed between them. 

Maybe not being left entirely to her own devices was not so terrible after all.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✭・゜・。.

Cho was reconsidering that opinion the next afternoon. Padma, Parvati, and Lavender had again insisted she join them, this time on the gorgeous white sand beach. When she'd stepped out of her chalet that morning, Cho had looked around at the turquoise waters and breathed in the salty air, and known she'd made the right choice to come to Langkawi for a little R&R after a stressful launch of Firebolt's Harry Potter Special Edition seeker's broom. Then she'd met the other women at the shore and felt a little less relaxed.

Lavender and Parvati were wearing the skimpiest bikinis Cho had ever seen. She felt positively prudish in her simple red one-piece, standing next to all those displayed curves. Lavender was lush enough in her hot pink two-piece suit with ruffled trim. Parvati looked downright dangerous in a white suit that was slung low on her hips and barely covered her (rather perfect, Cho couldn't help noticing) bum. It was difficult to believe that Parvati and Padma were identical, especially when Padma was attired more like Cho than her sister, and Padma's hair still hung down her back in the long plait that Cho remembered from their Ravenclaw days. Cho was exceedingly grateful for Padma, because Padma's appearance was the only thing keeping her from running back to her own lodgings and hiding under ten layers of clothing.

They'd all been soaking up the sun for about half an hour when Parvati abruptly announced that she and Padma were going to acquire something frozen, fruity, and alcoholic for the group. Cho gratefully put in an order, thankful to be spared the effort of trying to keep her eyes off of the contrast of barely-there white lycra stretched across the deep tan of Parvati's chest.

"Hardly seems fair sending them off together, if Padma's the one hoping to hook up with someone," Cho said to Lavender, once the twins were safely out of earshot.

Lavender propped herself up on an elbow so she could face Cho, always happy to indulge in some girl talk. Cho hoped that Lavender's top, tied together with fabric string, was up to the task of keeping everything where it should be. 

"On the contrary, Parvati is an excellent wingman. Wing_woman_. Blokes come round to talk to her, but end up with myself or Padma."

Cho quirked an eyebrow. Parvati oozed sex appeal. Cho couldn't imagine her being passed up, even in favor of a bubbly blonde like Lavender or her twin sister, who theoretically looked just like her. "I find that hard to believe. No offense."

"None taken," Lavender said airily. "Parvati's a dish. But she's not interested, and we are, so they come over to chat her up, but end up getting to know us, instead. It's a brilliant system."

Frowning, Cho said, "How do you know she's not interested? Doesn't it seem a bit unfair to her?"

Lavender sat up, twisting to remain facing Cho. "Didn't you know that Parvati's not into men?" At Cho's nonplussed look, her nose scrunched rather adorably. "She's a lesbian, Cho. She helps us at straight clubs and we do the same for her at gay clubs."

A small electric shock went through Cho's system that left her staring at Lavender, lost for words.

"She's been out forever," Lavender said helpfully.

"I didn't realize," Cho finally managed to say. "I've been, you know…" She gestured with her hands, not sure how to finish.

"Antisocial?" Lavender's nose scrunched again, and she smiled brightly. "Well, now you know."

Now she did. And when Parvati sauntered up to her and handed her a piña colada, Cho felt a little less guilty about noticing how phenomenal Parvati looked in her white bikini.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✭・゜・。.

The EDM beats that filled the upper floor of Antero Langkawi thrummed through Cho's body, compelling her to move. Music could be as powerful as a hex, she thought, as her body bounced to the rhythm of the song pouring from the DJ's speakers.

So could a beautiful woman. Parvati danced in front of her, the shorter strands of her hair flying about her face as she bopped her head to the music. As she made eye contact with Cho, a slow, sensual smile curved her glossy lips. Cho wasn't sure if it was the smile, the music, or the woman herself, but she felt impulsive and emboldened. She stretched upward, brushing her lips against Parvati's.

Then she froze, suddenly aware of what she'd just done. The room kept pulsing around her, but for Cho, time stood still. She waited for Parvati to react, expecting the other woman to back away. It didn't happen. Instead, Parvati sipped a hand behind Cho's neck, and pulled her back in.

Cho had been kissed before. She'd had tentative and exciting first kisses with Cedric Diggory. She'd had messy, awkward, pitying kisses with Harry Potter. And she'd had kisses since those, mostly enjoyable - but none like this. Parvati's kiss sizzled through Cho's entire body until Cho felt like she might lift off the floor and fly away. 

When they broke apart, Parvati smiled at Cho again. Cho smiled back. They resumed dancing, but now it was like they were dancing _together_, not just near each other. Cho felt joyful in a way she hadn't in a very long time, and for once, she didn't pause to analyze the feeling in her Ravenclaw way. She just let herself be in the moment, the music washing over her as she bobbed along to it.

Eventually, however, Cho had to admit that nature was calling. She leaned in close to Parvati, and whisper-shouted in her ear where she was going. Parvati nodded, twirling away as Cho weaved her way off the dance floor and down the stairs to the ladies loo. She was drying her hands and checking her appearance in the mirror when Lavender popped up behind her.

"Hey, girlie," Cho said, the intoxication of Parvati's kiss making her more exuberant than usual. "This club is great, isn't it?"

"It is," Lavender agree, pulling a tube of lip gloss from some mysterious pocket on her short dress. 

The blonde unscrewed the cap of the gloss and pulled the wand from the tube, applying the bright pink shade expertly to her lips. She held the gloss out to Cho, offering it to her, but Cho shook her head _no_. Not her color. As Lavender put the tube back from whence it came, she turned to face Cho, an abnormally serious look on her face.  
"This probably seems like none of my business," Lavender said, "but Parvati is my best friend. I love her like a sister."

Cho nodded. That was obvious. She waited for the other shoe to drop, the joy that had suffused her moments before dimming slightly.

Lavender continued, "I've seen her get hurt before by girls - women - that were just using her to figure themselves out." She held up a perfectly manicured hand as Cho opened her mouth to protest. "So I'm just asking, if you're just experimenting because of what I told you earlier … don't. Please. Because I think Parvati really likes you."

Cho's happiness spiked again at that last proclamation, but she couldn't ignore what had come before it.

"I'm not experimenting," Cho said, wanting to allay Lavender's worries for Parvati. "I know I like women. I like men, too, but I definitely like women. I've dated both. And I really like Parvati in particular."

Cho could see Lavender's shoulders and face visibly relax. She offered her a tentative grin. 

Lavender swept her into a tight hug. 

"Good," said Lavender, finally releasing Cho. "Parvati deserves someone special." She kissed Cho on the cheek, surprising her. "Now, let's go dance some more!"

Cho laughed, and looping her arm through Lavender's, headed back to the second floor of the club to find Parvati.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✭・゜・。.

Parvati laced her fingers with Cho's as they exited the car that deposited them back at the resort. Cho tried not to run and tug Parvati as they moved toward her chalet. It was difficult; she wanted to race there and pull Parvati into her arms. If her broom had been handy, Cho wasn't sure what she might have done. Instead, they walked quickly down the wooden pier, Pavat's thumb caressing the back of Cho's hand in a way that Cho felt all the way down to her toes.

Cho fumbled with the key card to her door, wishing the damnable electronic locks responded to an alohomora. Finally she slid it in correctly, the light turning green. She pushed the door open, letting it slam behind her and Parvati. Cho could not remember the last time she felt so impatient. 

After her talk with Lavender in the ladies, something had shifted in Cho. Instead of feeling nervous, or anxious, or second-guessing herself, she'd felt giddy, yes, but also self-assured and sure of her path. She's rejoined Parvati on the dance floor, and when there was a lull in the music, Cho had asked the other woman if she wanted to go back to her chalet with her. Parvati's response had been a soft kiss to Cho's lips, and Cho supposed that was a "yes". They'd said goodbye to Lavender and Padma, Lavender throwing a wink in Cho's direction when Paravati was talking to her sister, and then they'd left the pulsating night club for the privacy of Cho's quarters. 

Now they were there, and Cho was learning what Parvati's skin felt like under her fingertips and what Parvati's lips felt like on hers. She drew Parvati over to the bed.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✭・゜・。.

The next morning, Cho rolled over, expecting to find Parvati stretched out in her bed. Her hand met empty, but warm, sheets, and she knew Parvati had not been out of bed for long. Cho roused herself, wrapping her body in a short silk robe, and went to look for Parvati. The chalet was small, and she couldn't have gone too far.

Cho found Parvati at the end of the short pier that led to the water from the back deck of the room. She looked like a bronzed goddess, her head tipped up toward the morning sun, her feet dangling into the turquoise water. Cho took a seat next to her, saying nothing.

Parvati tilted her head slightly to look at Cho. "It just so beautiful out here."

Cho nodded, her hand finding Parvati's. "It is. I came here because I needed something, but I wasn't even sure what it was. Just for things to be different."

"I came to have a bit of fun, really," Parvati said, giving Cho's hand a small squeeze. "But I found something more than that, didn't I?"

"Better than a little trinket to take home, eh?" Cho replied, and leaned over to press her lips to Parvati's shoulder. 

Parvati threaded her fingers through Cho's hair, which was tumbling loose for the first time since she'd arrived in Langkawi. "I get to take paradise home with me."

Her mouth found Cho's, and Cho wasn't able to say she felt the same, but somehow she thought Parvati knew.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✭・゜・。.

**Author's Note:**

> This story/art is part of an anonymous fest: drizzle 2019. Reveals will be in mid-October. Please do not repost anywhere else without explicit permission from the original creator.


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